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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: elpolvo who wrote (31426)	11/12/2003 5:09:43 PM
From: elpolvo	Respond to of 89467

GOP Bushwhack (cont.) To protect herself, Gorham said she asked to co-sign all checks coming from the campaign in New Mexico. The RNC refused, she said, and that was the end of her participation in the national effort. "They said, `No,' and so I said, `Fine, I won't be a part of (the Bush re-election campaign),'" Gorham said. Some party insiders said Dendahl's long connections to Washington, D.C., officials put Gorham on the outs with the RNC. But Dendahl said national party officials were concerned about the state of the New Mexico GOP, which has lost a series of key employees since Gorham took over. Her first executive director, Mike Turk, resigned in August over differences with her management direction. His pinch-hitter, Deputy Executive Director Shawn Sullivan, quit the group Friday for similar reasons. "There's no clear direction in the party," Sullivan said. Now another worker is gone: Pam Ellis, the party's accounting chief. Ellis was partly responsible for making sure the party complied with federal election laws regarding contributions. And the dissension has spread to Gorham's top advisers. Dan Houck, who has been working with the GOP since 1995, said Tuesday he is resigning from the party's Executive Committee. "I have nothing but the greatest of respect and esteem for Ramsay, Houck said. "But that doesn't change the fact her leadership of the state party is not working, and I don't see it working better in the future." In a letter sent to Gorham on Tuesday, Houck said she wrongly continued to participate in party infighting. "This has further divided the party and given detractors in Washington the ammunition needed to turn national party leaders against you and move to divorce Bush/Cheney 2004 from the state party," Houck wrote. In a radio address Monday, Domenici said Gorham should just concentrate on state legislative races. All 112 seats are up for re-election next year. "I think the state chairperson shouldn't be worried about it," Domenici said of the split. "If it's what they want, she ought to let them do it." The RNC might name Lou Gallegos, chief of staff for former Gov. Gary Johnson, to run the in-state re-election drive. John Sanchez, regional chairman of Bush's re-election team, said Gallegos is a candidate for the job. Sanchez said he hadn't talked to Gorham in several weeks. The Gorham freeze-out has befuddled local Republicans. "We're a party that says we believe in local control, except when it comes to the local party," City Councilor Greg Payne said. "It sends one of the most bizarre political messages I've ever seen." Bush lost New Mexico to Democrat Al Gore in 2000 by 366 votes. "If you look at the political landscape, I don't think the president's re-election is going to be a cakewalk," Payne said. "All of it is put in a great deal of jeopardy by this infighting."